Anovulation is best defined as which of the following?

• A. Absence of ovulation
• B. Excessive ovulation
• C. Normal ovulation
• D. Delayed fertilization

Answer: (A)

Anovulation means there is no ovulation in a menstrual cycle. Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the ovary, enabling potential fertilization and the formation of the corpus luteum that produces progesterone. When ovulation doesn’t occur, cycles are anovulatory, which can lead to irregular or absent bleeding and infertility. The other ideas describe different situations that don’t define the term: excessive ovulation would imply more than one egg is released in a cycle, normal ovulation indicates the standard process happens, and delayed fertilization refers to the timing after ovulation rather than whether ovulation occurs.